<< Immortal realm >>
"Open your eyes" King Daniil told Kira immediately they arrived at the heavenly gate, which she did.
A mesmerizing smile spread on her face, and her brows raised in awe when her eyes fell on a gigantic, beautiful gate, and what surprised her most was the fact that it looked as though it was made of gold.
"Is that real gold, or just some paint?" she could not help but ask to confirm.
"Real gold"
"Wow" she gushed as her eyes widened more.
She made to jump down so she can go feel the gate made of gold, but she retreated and held tightly onto King Daniil when she saw what's underneath them. She thought he was standing on plain ground all these while, but he wasn't, he was standing on something that looked like clouds.
"Where is the ground?" were the words that left her mouth.
"Here" King Daniil gestured at the clouds underneath his foot.
Kira shook her in disagreement. "No, that's not ground, that looks like cloud" she emphasized on the 'cloud' part.
"Yes. It's what we have here, but it's as firm as standing on land" he explained precisely.
He tried to put Kira down again, but she doesn't allow him, she screamed in resistance and tightened her grip on his robe as she stabbed him a scolding glare.
"I didn't come here with you to trade my life for fun" she warned him.
"I didn't ask you to trade your life, and it's very safe to stand and walk on this" he guaranteed her.
She stared at him with doubtful eyes, then she closed her eyes, wiggled roughly in his arms as if to check if he'd lose his balance and fall. After a few moments of wiggling, she opened her eyes, only to realize he's still standing perfectly on the cloud.
"Get down" he gritted out.
Kira nodded, giving him permission to put her down. "Put me down slowly, or I'm gonna have your head if I fall from here and hurt myself" she threatened.
King Daniil put her down as gently as he could. There are still some doubts in Kira, she didn't let go of King Daniil's robe even after her feet have touched the clouds, and she can tell it's solid and safe to walk on.
"Follow me" King Daniil said, then proceed towards the gate.
Reaching the gate, Kira couldn't resist the urge of touching it. She totally forgot about her fear of falling, and ran to embrace one of the gate's pillar.
"I can't believe this is real gold, I don't think anyone can accurately tell how many karat gold this is" her voice laced with perplexities.
She thought King Daniil was waiting for her while she was gushing about the gold, but she was shocked when she realized he's gone and left her behind—she could still see him in a distance, though.
"Rude" she grumbled under her breath, then dashed towards him, to catch up with him.
Kira frowned when she saw people bowing in respect for King Daniil as she approached him. "I thought he's a psycho, don't tell me he's a King for real, and I am currently in some fairy's world" she thought to herself.
She didn't say anything or ask any questions, she simply followed King Daniil quietly.
★★★
After walking and taking different turns for what felt like a year to Kira, they finally arrived at another enormous gate with an inscription *King Daniil's Mansion* standing proudly at the top. Kira could see the grand mansion behind the gates, and she couldn't help the gasp that escaped her mouth.
"Don't tell me this is your home"
"It is" King Daniil replied simply as though it's not a big deal, but Kira, on the other hand, was gaping since she obviously had never seen any mansion as grand as this.
The gates opened as soon as King Daniil neared it, he walked in and she followed suit. Although, the mansion was a bit far from the gate, but the closer they got, the more awe Kira was.
Immediately they reached the main door of the mansion, a guard quickly pushed the door open and bowed at King Daniil. "Welcome, your Majesty" he said.
"Hm" King Daniil hummed in response, and entered the mansion.
When they're already inside the mansion, Kira didn't wait for King Daniil to offer her a seat, she raced to the large and spacious living room with the intention of making herself comfortable in a sofa, but her plan changed when she stepped into the living room.
"Wow" she exclaimed as her eyes wandered around.
Everywhere Kira looked, gold adorned every surface, casting a warm and ethereal glow that seemed to dance with the sunlight filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The living room was vast, with high ceilings that seemed to reach for the heavens. The walls were adorned with intricate golden moldings, chandeliers hung from above, with their crystal prisms refracting light and casting a mesmerizing display of colors across the room.
A plush, cream-colored carpet covered the marble floor, its softness inviting Kira to sink her feet into its luxurious embrace. The furniture, as if they were meticulously chosen to complement the room's opulence, were upholstered in rich fabrics of deep burgundy and royal blue, adding a regal touch to the already extravagant space.
A grand piano stood proudly against one wall, its polished ebony surface reflecting the golden hues that enveloped the room. The keys, like ivory pearls, beckoned to be played. "If only I could play." Kira grumbled, regretting the fact that she can't play the piano.
Nearby, a marble fireplace, intricately carved with scenes of mythical creatures, crackled with warmth, casting a gentle glow that danced upon the golden walls.
The room was adorned with exquisite works of art, each painting a masterpiece in its own right. Portraits of people who seems like noble ancestors, their eyes seemingly following the movements of those present, adorned the walls. Sculptures, delicately crafted from marble and bronze, stood as silent witnesses to the room's grandeur.
"Are you real?" Kira asked, turning her attention from the grand living room and faced King Daniil with a serious expression.
Her question sounded strange to him, his brows furrowed as he stared at her through squinted eyes.
"Who really are you? Why are you this rich?"
"This isn't your first time seeing my living room" King Daniil said.
"Yeah, this actually is my first time seeing it. Last time I was here, I was unconscious because someone had his boy knock me out, and I was magically teleported back home when I wanted to visit home because someone thought walking is unhealthy." she replied sassily.
Her tone of speech doesn't sit well with King Daniil and he released an offended growl, but Kira wasn't fazed. She simply scoffed, then slumped on a sofa.
"Let's talk about something serious. Why am I here? Why did you bring me here?" she asked.
"The phoenix queen"
"What?"
"I brought you here because you're related to the phoenix queen"
None of King Daniil's words made sense to Kira, she looked so confused and lost.
"I'm confused. Let's start from whom the hell is this phoenix queen, and how I am related to her, good?"
King Daniil agreed. He sat on an opposite sofa, then began. "Here in the immortal realm, the heavenly King is not allowed to marry any woman of his choice, he's not allowed to fall in love with another woman because his fated wife is the phoenix queen"
"Huh? Isn't that a bit cruel?"
"What?"
"The king not being allowed to fall in love with another woman. What if the phoenix queen dies at birth?" her brows furrowed as another question crossed her mind. "Wait, anyone can claim to be the phoenix queen unless there's a way to recognize her. How do you know that this or that is the phoenix queen?"
"There's always an immortal light surrounding the phoenix queen, no one but her can have it" King Daniil said.
"Oh" Kira nodded in understanding, then signaled him to continue.
"The last heavenly King and phoenix queen were my parents, but they died thousands of years ago and…"
"Thousands of years ago?" Kira interrupted him.
"Yes"
"If they died thousands of years ago, and they're your parents, then how old are you?" she asked, her eyes widened, her eyeballs almost pumping out as she braced herself for his answer.
"I'm quite young"
"How young are you?"
"I'm only two thousand years old…"
"Two thousand years old?" Kira coughed as she choked on her spit. "You call a two thousand years old, young?"
"Yes. Most of the gods and goddesses are over twenty thousand years, two thousand years is quite young compared to theirs"
Kira's mouth was agape as she listened to King Daniil speak, she couldn't believe, or rather, doesn't want to believe what her ears are hearing.
"Are you alright?" King Daniil asked when he noticed Kira's stilled, her eyes not blinking and her body not moving, totally still.
"How come you're two thousand years old and still be alive, looking like a twenty-seven years old?" she asked.
"I'm immortal, and I will look this way for a long time" he answered.
Kira shook her head as though she mentally disagrees with something. "I must be dreaming" she grabbed some flesh of her arm and pinched on it. "I'm not dreaming. This is real. Immortals are real"
"Yes" King Daniil answered even though it wasn't a question.
Silence fell on them as Kira tried to wrap everything she's heard around her head. She is surprised that other beings actually exist in this world apart from humans.
"Can I continue, or give you time to absorb everything?"
She nodded slowly. "Continue. I'd rather absorb everything at once" she said.
"Alright" King Daniil studied her reaction for a moment before continuing. "I've been waiting for the rebirth of the new phoenix queen since I became King, but haven't found any sign of her rebirth. Everyone have started giving up, and we're trying to seek another alternative, until I saw you and realized you have the phoenix queen's immortal light and bone in you, and that's why I brought you here"
Another moment of silence enveloped them until Kira broke it. "But I'm human, how come I have the phoenix queen's immortal light and bone in me?" she asked.
"I don't know why you have them too, that is the reason I brought you here. The oldest member of the phoenix clan will check you, and tell us what's going on"
"You must have made a mistake because I'm a hundred percent human, a mortal being, and I can't have any connections with your immortal realm" she said.
King Daniil felt his heart twist when Kira said those words, he felt an unfamiliar feeling. "We don't know for sure whether you're connected to the immortal realm, our answer lies in the hands of the oldest member of the phoenix clan"
"But I don't even know…"
Kira's words were cut short when Aleksandr walked in.
"Your Majesty" Aleksandr greeted King Daniil with a respectful bow, then smiled politely at Kira. "Miss" he greeted her.
For some inexplicable reasons, King Daniil found himself getting angry at Aleksandr's familiarity with Kira. He felt a sudden need to land a punch on Aleksandr, but he dipped his thumbnail in his palm and managed to calm himself down.
"State your business quickly" he growled in annoyance.
Aleksandr quickly turned away from Kira, his smile instantly wiped off his face, and he faced King Daniil with a serious, business expression. "The oldest member of the phoenix clan has returned from her promotional trial in the mortal realm"